Enhancing Contemporary Teaching Skills to Address the Changing Role of Teachers as a Result of the Long-Term Social Impacts of the Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Education has changed in many ways with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The traditional teaching methods were challenged by the pandemic, hence, teachers had to adapt to new teaching methodologies, offer their courses virtually, arrange attractive digital learning environments, assess student progress online, keep students motivated and engage them digitally in a meaningful and pedagogical way. Sri Lanka has long had a strong institutionalized direct instructional teacher education culture through which teachers were trained for face-to- face instruction, however, Covid-19 related pedagogical challenges require the empowerment of teachers with contemporary teaching skills.

This paper is a qualitative content analysis of the potential of the new Teacher Education program designed as a collaborative EU co-funded Capacity Building project CONTESSA, the Contemporary Teaching Skills for South Asia (https://contessa-project.eu/) to fulfill the needs of teacher education at present. The analysis was on the appropriateness of content and utility of instructional design to meet the challenges of teaching-learning that might continue in the post-Covid-19 context. The teacher education curriculum which is a comprehensive package of five modules is found to have potential design features of modules that were identified in terms of continuity of teaching design, delivery, and assessment, facilitation of the role of technology for learning and teaching cum strategic actions for blended learning, and the focus on student-centered and inclusive education. It can be concluded that the approach developed through CONTESSA is having progressive features to address the long-term effects to the teacher education and intended outcomes of the teacher education programs such as: improving digital teaching skills, and critical skills, improving the transition of learners at critical stages and of learners at risk, improving the progress of learners with special needs or migration backgrounds.

A recommendation is made to incorporate these open-source teacher education modules into preservice and in-service teacher education programs in Sri Lanka and South Asia and develop other parallel modules on similar frameworks